Across the Divide and Through Valhalla

Magic Lesson

Chapter 17

Neither of them spoke on the way back to her house. Sherry didn't blame Noel for his quiet, either. She had given him a lot to think about. Even if he had already declared that he would help, she was sure his mind had to be full of what would happen to him. She really hoped that the visions she had of him in different clothing and unfamiliar surroundings meant that he would be born into a brighter future and would retain no memory of all this pain. She hoped she could do the same for all of them. She knew that it was probable that at least Caius and Genesis would remember coming to Earth and all that entailed, but even so, that would arm them against making everyone else's life miserable. Or at least she hoped so. Her focus was still unclear to her, but she had a feeling she was on the right track.

When they pulled up, Noel helped her carry everything in. It didn't escape anyone's attention that Noel was far more somber than he had been when they left. None of them liked the implications, but no one said anything to Sherry. As soon as she put everything away, she got started on a meal. It was already late morning, so she decided to forgo breakfast foods and opted for lunch instead.

All the way through to clean-up, there was very little talking outside of the things necessary to organize everything. She was surprised when Cloud and Zack offered to clean in her stead since she was providing the meal. She wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to let someone else wash dishes. That was her least favorite chore.

While they finished that, Sherry went into the living room. She found both Caius and Sephiroth were talking again, and, to her amusement, Genesis had one of her fantasy novels and seemed to be absorbed. She looked around but didn't see Noel. Caius noticed her looking and spoke up. "He went outside as soon as he was finished eating."

Her brows furrowed down, but she gave him a nod. She started to head out to look for him, but she stopped before she reached the door. She was probably the last person he wanted to see at the moment. Instead, she turned back to Caius. "Would you mind trying to teach me to use magic? I don't know how long this will take, but I would rather have a basic understanding of what might happen instead of having it surprise me."

At her request, the others all turned to her with interest. Especially Genesis. She realized that seeing magic without materia would probably fascinate them as well, so she ignored them while she waited for a response.

Caius must have noted their curiosity as well since he simply stood and gestured toward the door. "I noticed an isolated clearing nearby that would work."

She gave him a nod. She knew where he was talking about and agreed that it was a good location. She didn't have neighbors that were too close, but going to where there was no chance of being seen was a good idea. She followed him out, and the others trailed after them. They hadn't quite made it when a thought occurred to her, and she turned to the men behind her. "I apologize. I had planned on speaking with you all today."

Genesis only made a shooing motion for her to continue. "And I am certain you will speak with a couple of us at least, but with the enormity of what we are potentially about to witness, it can wait."

She tried to clamp down on a laugh, but it came out anyway with a choking sound. When he gave her a dirty look for it, she just grinned. "You do realize that it is commonplace for Caius and Noel, right? That is why I asked him to show me."

His glare had only slightly lessened as he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to follow Caius. His voice still sounded excited. "Be that as it may, it is extraordinary to us, and I am interested in seeing the differences."

She laughed again as she allowed him to push her to follow Caius. When they reached the clearing, the Guardian motioned her to join him. He gave the others a blank look before he turned to her. "I do not know if you can produce controlled results right away, but you should be able to feel the magic. If you were attacked, it would most likely manifest on a subconscious level to help you defend yourself. For that reason, it is good that I show you, even if it will only be a few days."